Star Wars Book One: Force
by Darth Mannoroc
Summary: On a remote world in the Outer Rim, a small group of friends have drawn the ire of the vast Galactic Empire. Now pursued across the stars, secrets will be revealed, alliances will be made, and an ancient order will rise once more to bring balance to the Force...
1. Chapter 1: Old Friends and New Enemies

**Star Wars Book One: Force**

**Chapter 1: Old Friends and New Enemies**

**Planet Kurlik, Avanosh System, Outer Rim.**

Korra awoke to darkness. Shifting on her makeshift cot, she strained to regain her senses, finally being awarded with the incessant drone of Bolins' snoring. The man was making more noise than a Gundark in an antique store. Snorting in amusement, she rose from her dwelling, eyes slowly adjusting to the pitch black. Noticing that Makos' bed was empty, Korra made her way to the door and left the room, blinding herself as daylight flooded the small shack that they had called home for the last 5 months.

So much had changed in the last four years.

Kurlik was once a backwater world that was overlooked more often than not by the Imperial authorities due to its strategic insignificance and its distance from the major and minor Hyperlanes, thus making it an ideal haven for criminal elements that had plagued to Outer Rim for millennia, including even the vicious and immensely wealthy Hutt Cartels. Even though life was hard under their rule, the Hutts at least left you alone as long as you paid them their 'protection' fees. Korras' family had been rather successful and had been able to provide for her without having to degrade themselves to the levels of the local gangs, and for a while everything had seemed fine to her. Then the Rebels took note of Kurliks' isolation and decided to set up a base to hide from the Empires' vast intelligence network. It would have worked to if the Hutts hadn't sold them out to collect on the vast bounty the Empire had placed on them.

When Korra was only 13 the Empire attacked, and everything changed. They utterly annihilated the Rebel presence on Kurlik but didn't stop there. Some of the local citizenry had been sympathetic to the Rebel cause, and the Hutts had sold them out as well. Korras' parents had been among them. She could still remember the day the was forced to watch as Stormtroopers had dragged Tonraq and Senna into the street in front of an officer, whose face was too long and narrow to be natural. She could still remember the list of charges that bastard had read out for all to hear, she could still remember her rage at the sheer lies that they were accused of. She could still remember her father shaking off the troopers restraining him, telling her to run and lunging at the officer.

She could still remember the sight of her fathers' smoking corpse on the ground in front of her, and her mother being dragged away to god knows whatever fate the Empire had in store for her.

Korra never knew what her parents had done to deserve such a fate, but she did know one thing. From that point on nothing would ever be the same again. Shortly after that fateful day, the Empire took full control of Kurlik, even though the Hutts still maintained that they are the worlds overlords. In truth, the Empire had always been pulling the strings from behind the curtain, they just weren't as subtle about it now.

It wasn't long after the Imperial occupation began that Korra met Mako and Bolin. She ran into them in the food markets in the capital city one day when she was trying to steal something to sustain herself on. The Empire didn't even have the decency to let Korra stay in her own home, so she now lived the life of a street rat. A very unsuccessful street rat at that. She had struggled for two weeks to make ends meet, and was weak and slow from malnutrition when the two brothers had found her.

After a bit of a struggle over some stolen fruit, Korra had convinced them to let her tag along. Bolin took no persuading, as the big lug had a heart as big as a Star Destroyer, but Mako took some convincing. Korra couldn't blame him for his caution. She found out that Mako and Bolin had once run with Matha the Hutts gang when they were younger to escape their life of poverty. A rival gang had killed their parents when they were very young and had grown up on the streets for most of their life.

Naturally they had a lot to teach Korra about survival. Bolin taught Korra how to empathise with other people, something Korra has had a lot of trouble with since that day. Mako taught kora how to be stealthy and cunning, and soon she was able to keep up with the two of them as they made their rounds of the city. They only ever took enough to keep themselves well fed and healthy though. The rest of the population was hardly well off either.

This continued on for 4 years. The three of them eventually got noticed by the Imperial authorities and a reward was issued for their arrest. That was 7 months ago, and since then they've been on the run. Every checkpoint they pass, every patrol on the street holds the promise of a significantly shortened lifespan filled with the most intense suffering imaginable. They found their current home abandoned since the beginning of the occupation, the doors and windows not even sealed against the elements that ravaged the city outskirts. It was easy to fix up however, with some technical knowhow that Mako had apparently picked up from a girl he once knew. They had even found an old broken down speeder still parked in the houses garage that they were able to fix up. Despite their wanted status, things were starting to look up for the three of them.

Then they _really _got in trouble.

Korras' eyes quickly adjusted to the midday sun, scanning the street for any sign of Mako. A flash of red in her peripheral vision was all she needed to see. Mako was standing at the end of the street, his dirty red scarf pulled over his mouth against the debris lingering in the air from last night's dust storm. Korra had tied a bandana over her mouth and nose the moment she stepped out the door. Walking up behind him, he turned to see who was making their way, and smiled when his eyes met hers. Korra stood next to him in silence for a while, contemplating what to say.

She didn't have to wait long for the silence to break.

"We can't stay here." Mako said, his voice brokering no argument.

"I know. They'll be looking for us now." Korra replied, her voice heavy with trepidation.

The previous day had seen one of the greatest changes to the status quo since the Imperial occupation of Kurlik began 4 years ago. The planetary governor, one Minister Iosa, had been attacked while on a publicity tour to inspect the new Imperial Shipyard that was being constructed in orbit. Rumour has it that the Empire has grand plans for Kurlik and the surrounding systems, hoping to turn the planet into a planetary shipyard to rival the vaunted Corellian and Kuati manufacturing base. Rumour also has it that it was a small group of rebels who had attacked the Minister yesterday, two young men and a young woman. While Korra and the guys didn't initiate the attack, they certainly were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The attack had taken place at the spaceport on the outskirts of the capital city, where the Minister was returning from the orbital docks. Korra, Mako and Bolin had been there trying to scrounge up some desperately needed components to get the old speeder working when the true culprits had attacked. Korra had only glimpsed a cloaked figure reaching into the folds of his robe before all hell broke loose. Some of the Ministers Stormtrooper guards must have recognised the trio, as not even an hour later their faces were plastered over every holoboard and bounty office on the planet. For the first time in their history, none of them had anywhere to run to.

They had to get off world.

"Maybe we could make our way to the cantina. There might be a starship captain who could get us off this rock?" Korra suggested.

"I don't know Korra" Mako said, his voice betraying the conflict he was feeling underneath his calm and composed visage. "Our faces are all over every inch of this kriffing city. We couldn't walk two feet without being recognised. We'll need disguises to have any hope of making it past this street."

The street they had based themselves on was a quiet, if cluttered slum on the outskirts of the main population centres. They had survived anonymously for this long, but with recent events even that wasn't enough.

"Even if we could find a smuggler or someone to take us, how would be pay them? We don't have a credit to our name!" Mako said desperately

"That's one concern. " Korra admitted. His mind was working a mile a minute trying to work out a solution to their imminent demise, Korra knew that, but sometime Mako could be such a pessimist.

"There has to be something we could do, someone we could talk to." Mako pondered to himself.

"Isn't there anyone from your old gang who could help?" Korra asked.

Mako whirled on her almost instantly, "Absolutely not! There is nothing any of those scumbags can do for us. We didn't exactly part on good terms."

Korra sighed. The situation was hopeless. She swore that if she ever saw the bastard that got them in this mess in the first place….

"What about Asami?"

Korra and Mako turned at the sound of Bolins' voice, Makos' eyes wide

"Asami? Are you serious?" Mako said, "After what happened? What makes you think she won't call the Imps the second she sees my face?"

Bolin looked at Mako like he had grown a second head, "She wouldn't do that and you know it bro, come on you know she's our only chance." Bolin pleaded.

Korra looked between the two of them, "Who's Asami?"

"Asami Sato, the daughter of the CEO of Seinar Fleet Systems. We used to be a thing." Mako added rather sheepishly.

Korras' eyes went wide in shock, "WHAT? You dated corporate royalty? How did you manage that you dog?" Korra exclaimed, nudging Mako in the ribs.

"It's complicated, I'll just say that SFS isn't above dealing with the Cartels. Bolin how would we get in contact with her? We don't have any comm gear and we certainly can't use a Holonet terminal, the Imps are going to be monitoring every frequency."

Bolin shrugged, "We know where she lives, maybe we could go see her?"

"And get past all that security on their compound? " Mako said, clearly exasperated.

"Hey I'm just trying to help Mako! Besides you've snuck in before if I do recall." Bolin said, giving his brother a knowing look.

Mako threw his arms up in the air, "That was when she knew I was coming! Now the entire city is on lockdown after that stunt those rebels pulled! There's Stormtroopers on every street and a kriffing Star Destroyer in orbit!"

"Calm down Mako, Bolins right." Korra interjected, "This Asami sound like our only hope. We have to figure something out."

Mako looked away, deep in thought. Korra didn't like the look on his face. Mako was always the one with the plan, always the one to get them out of a mess. To see him lost with no idea what to do unsettled her. Even Bolin, Bolin the optimist, the man who could see the good in everything in life looked worried.

Finally Mako spoke.

"Maybe we could catch her when she's on her way to a meeting or something. Explain our situation, though she no doubt already knows."

Bolins' face was nearly swallowed by the grin he gave his brother, "Alright! I knew you'd see reason bro!"

Korra suddenly felt on edge, like a tingle at the back of her mind.

"Get back inside!" Korra yelled at the two brothers.

Mako and Bolin both looked at Korra like she'd lost her mind.

Then they heard it.

The distinctive thump-hiss of an Imperial walker.

"Fierfekk!" Mako cursed, dragging Bolin down the street, hot on Korras' tail.

Just as they made it inside their little habitat, an AT-DP rounded the corner that they had been standing on. Its long spindly legs carrying the bulky, rectangular cockpit on its patrol of the city slums. Peeking out the window, Mako shuddered at the sight of the Imperial war machine, its chin mounted laser cannon more than capable of turning the shack they cowered in to scrap and ash.

They waited for the walker to pass, an agonising suspense building when the sounds of its footsteps stopped for a while, and muffled, radio distorted voices could be heard outside. Mako and Korra had reached for anything they could use as a weapon, an old hydro spanner or a broken plasteel pipe. They knew full well that they wouldn't stand a chance against a Stormtrooper without a proper blaster, but it brought them some small measure of reassurance.

Eventually the voices stopped and the walker went on its way. Letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding, Korra turned to Mako, her concern mirrored on his face.

"They've never patrolled around here before. We need to go now." Bolin said

"Yeah" was all Mako could say.

Turning to Korra, Makos' face softened, "I don't know how you do it but that sixth sense of yours has saved our live more times than I can count."

Korra looked away. She had always been able to sense when something was about to happen. She had no idea how, and quite frankly it scared her at times, but it had helped them get out of some serious trouble in the past, and Korra wasn't about to look a gift Rancor in the mouth.

"let's just see if we can find your friend." Korra said sheepishly

Mako nodded, turning to Bolin to help him gather their belongings. There was enough to last them a few days on the run and they had managed to scavenge enough cloth to make each of them a cloak to disguise themselves from the patrols. Mako and Korra also took the makeshift weapons they had held in the suspense, with the hope that they wouldn't have to use them. Making their way to the now barely functional speeder, they all climbed in and set off into the city, in search of their ticket off this suddenly hostile world.

**Unknown System, Outer Rim**

Aboard the Imperial II class Star Destroyer _Equaliser_, a cloaked figure walked the corridors towards his private conference room, the crew parting before him like a tide striking the rocks of the shoreline. Ignoring the fearful glances that were passed his way by the regular enlistees and the sharp salutes from the ships Stormtrooper complement, the man passed through a set of heavy blast doors that parted in his presence, vising shut behind him. In the solitude and security of his quarters, the man took position infront of the rooms central holoterminal, kneeling before it.

With a low hum the devise activated, and an image of the man's dark master materialised before him.

"Inquisitor." The deep, mechanically augmented voice of Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, said between long wheezes from his Bio suits respirators.

The Inquisitor bowed his head in deference to the hand of the Emperor.

"What is thy bidding, my master?" he asked, keeping his voice respectful.

"I have sensed a disturbance in the force on the plant Kurlik. Intelligence has reason to believe that there is more than one rebel group operating on that world. Recent events have shown that this alliance is growing bolder by the day, and now the governor of Kurlik has been targeted in an attempted assassination."

The Inquisitor raised his gaze from the foot of the holoterminal to behold Lord Vader directly. The rebels would dare to be so foolish as to draw the ire his master! A sinister smile tugged at his lips, hidden beneath his mask.

"You wish for me to hunt down and destroy these traitors my lord?" he asked, relishing the thought of bringing the cowards to their knees

"No"

The smile dropped from his face.

"You will have a much more important target. My spies have lead me to believe that among the culprits of the attack, the only female member of their group is force sensitive."

At that, the Inquisitors grin reaffirmed itself upon his features.

"You will hunt them down and turn the girl to the Dark Side, where she will serve as you do. This is my masters command."

Lord Amon once again bowed his head, his instruction clear in his mind.

"And so it shall be done."


	2. Chapter 2: Reunion and Examples

**Star Wars Book One: Force**

**Chapter 2: Reunion and Examples**

**Planet Kurlik, Avanosh System, Outer Rim.**

They waited. For hours hidden in a back alley, the run down speeder hidden under a tarpaulin they had found in a waste recycler, they waited for any sign of Asami Sato.

"Are you sure she'll be here?" Korra asked looking around, keeping aware of her surroundings.

"I really don't know Korra." Mako replied. "We used to come here all the time when we were together, but things might have changed."

They were scoping out a dingy cantina in a town not far from the capital. More than once on the journey over, they had to stop and hide the speeder behind a rock outcropping from a wing of TIE Fighters that passed overhead. The Imps really wanted them caught. The entire planet seemed to be on lockdown. When they finally did arrive at the town, every main road into the place was blockaded by Stormtroopers and AT-DPs. Mako luckily knew a way in through an old cargo loading bay that led into the main floor of an abandoned refinery. Apparently this was how Mako used to sneak into town when he and Bolin had made themselves enemies of their old gang.

After some risky manoeuvres once they had made it into town, Korra had managed to snag a pair of magnoculars off of a Stormtrooper captain. Using them to scan the front of the cantina, occasionally handing them to Mako so he could take a better look at anyone Korra said matched Makos description of Asami. Mako had also managed to pocket a holdout blaster from a less than attentive bounty hunter, so now the three of them felt much more secure if it came to a fight.

"You know what she was like Mako, she hated all the highbrow snobs she was always around. I'm sure she'll still come here." Bolin chimed in, trying to encourage his brother.

It seemed to work, as a trace of a smile tugged at the corner of Makos lips. "I suppose you're right bro. I just hope she'll help us when we do find her."

Korra went back to watching the cantina, wonder what this Asami was like to make Mako, the boy she'd known for four years and who was always the stoic paragon of the group, suddenly become as nervous as a Moff in front of the Emperor himself. The thought amused her to no end. She couldn't wait to meet her.

Suddenly that tingling came back to her, urging her to look to her left. Following her instincts, Korra scanned the area to the left of the cantina, and was rewarded with a glimpse of a feminine figure with a hood covering her head. Her curiosity peaked, Korra focused the magnoculars onto the woman's face.

It was Asami alright.

She matched Makos description of her perfectly. Pale skin, full red lips, piercing amber eyes, long thick black hair. There was no doubt.

Pulling on Makos sleeve, Korra threw the magnoculars into his hands and told him to look. Mako took them off of her and raised them to his eyes. His breath caught, giving Korra and Bolin all the indication they needed.

"I told you she'd be here Mako!" Bolin cried, slapping Mako on the back so hard he nearly fell out of the alley.

"Yeah now we just have to get her attention." Mako said distantly, magnoculars still raised to his face.

"Please, allow me." Korra said with a mischievous smirk.

Korra suddenly bolted from their hiding spot, having checked for Imperial patrols before making herself known. She heard Mako and Bolin calling her name behind her, shocked at her sudden action. Making a beeline straight for Asami, Korra saw her look around, as if recognising their voices, before her eyes rested on her. Before Korra could even react she was face down on the ground, her arm pinned behind her back and a knee driving into her spine. Gasping for breath, she turned her head to look up, only to see Asamis' rather annoyed features looking down at her.

"Just what the hell do you think you were doing?" she asked, her voice as cold as ice.

"Just doing my job miss!" Korra sassed back.

Asami rewarded her by twisting her arm further, causing Korra to grunt in pain.

"Don't joke with…" Asami began, her eyes flicking across Korras face. "Wait. You're one of the terrorist that attacked the Governor!"

Asami hauled Korra to her feet.

"Where is he?"

Korra caught her meaning instantly, nudging her head towards the alley Mako and Bolin were watching from with stunned expressions.

By now they had gathered a small crowd of onlookers and Korra suddenly felt naked under their gaze, fearful of being recognised.

"Look we can explain later but right now we have to get out of here before someone calls the police!" Korra pleaded.

Asami turned back to her, her face softening at Korras sincerity.

"Alright lets go."

They both ran back to the alley. Mako and Bolin were already getting the speeder started by the time the two women had made it to them. Turning around from his position at the back of the vehicle, Mako looked up, his expression one of sheer trepidation at seeing Asami again after so long.

"Um. Hey." Was all he could manage.

Asami looked less than impressed.

"I know you couldn't have done what they say you did Mako. But if I don't like what you have to tell me, I won't hesitate to turn you in." Asami threatened, her face inches from Makos.

Korra and Bolin looked taken aback at how viscous Asami was being to her ex. Just what had Mako done to her to deserve that kind of treatment after being apart for so long?

"Asami I, We can explain everything, all I'm asking is for you to listen once we get out of here." Mako practically begged.

Bolin looked out into the street and spotted a patrol of Stormtroopers making their way towards the cantina, no doubt investigating the disturbance.

"Um guys we can catch up later, right now we should, you know, be going in the other direction of them?" Bolin panicked.

The other three turned to look at the patrol that Bolin had spotted.

Just as the Captain of that squad caught sight of them.

"Hey you! Stay where you are!" his voice carried across the street, amplified and distorted by his helmets speakers, the rest of his squad raising their blasters.

"Aw Fierfekk!" Mako cursed, "Get in the speeder now!"

Korra and Bolin were already climbing in, Bolin dragging Asami behind him. Mako leaped into the driver's seat, gunning the throttle.

The speeder, battered as it was, failed to start.

The Stormtroopers opened fire.

Ruby red bolts of charged particles seared past them, some slamming into the frame of the vehicle. Leaping out of the speeder, the group ran for their lives down the alley, pursued by the faceless enforcers of the Emperor's will.

**Star Destroyer **_**Equaliser**_**, In hyperspace en route to Kurlik**

The swirling blue maelstrom of hyperspace filled the viewport on the bridge of the _Equaliser_, Amon allowing the mesmerising vortex to ease him into a state of calm. While technically going against the Sith code, the Inquisitor had found in the past that pure rage and hatred simply wasn't enough for him to perform his duties. He found that his mind was more focused when not mired by such negative emotions. It was part of what made him so feared throughout the Empire. By focusing his mind, he could read the thoughts of almost everyone aboard the _Equaliser_, from the lowliest ensign slaving away in the mess hall to the ship's captain, an arrogant piece of work that Lord Amon had often thought of throwing out of the nearest airlock. Even now he could sense the man plotting his advance within the ranks of the Imperial Navy, something about showing up a rival in hopes of gaining the attention of the Admiralty.

At least not all aboard the _Equiliser _were so borderline insubordinate. There was no doubt in Amon's mind where the loyalties of the ships Stormtrooper complement lay. Every last one of them was unswervingly loyal to the Empire, and by extension him. Particularly one Lieutenant in the 45th legion. Amon prized loyalty above all else, and he would be sure to make enquiries to transfer the most dedicated into his personal task force.

He felt a sudden disturbance as the captain of the_ Equaliser_ marched up behind him and stood at parade rest, his hands clasped behind his back.

"My Lord, we will be exiting hyperspace in ten minutes."

"Thank you Captain. I will be taking your best troopers with me on my mission planetside, and I expect you to remain on station until further orders." Amon said, his voice projecting his absolute authority over the ship.

"Of course my Lord." The Captain replied. Amon could sense that the man was inwardly seething at the thought of waiting on a single man, when he could put his vessel through its paces in service against the various dissident groups across the galaxy, and further prove himself to the Grand Moff himself.

Amon paid those thoughts no heed however. His mission was absolute, and one mans deluded ambition would not stand in his way.

"Have a shuttle prepared for transit to the capital. I will begin my search for these recidivists there."

"At once my Lord." The Captain replied, saluting sharply and starting to move away to discuss with his Logistics officer.

"And Captain," Amon began, the man turning to face the Inquisitor. "I am well aware of your reservations about this assignment, and I want to assure you that the Empire values your service."

The Captain straightened, clearly ready to rebuke any accusations that Amon could level against him.

Amon didn't give him that chance.

Turning to the rest of the bridge crew, he gave his sermon. "The Empire values the service of all who wear the uniform. But know that no one is above the notice of the Emperor. Or above answering to his will. If I find that any of you harbour any doubts about the Emperors plans, then by all means I shall do my best to remedy such treasonous thoughts."

Turning back to face the Captain, Amon's voice took on a dark tone. "And by all means, I shall do what needs to be done to purge such insolence from the ranks of the Imperial fleet."

He could feel the Captains rage at being called out in front of his crew, coupled with his fear of the very real consequences of his error. The man closed his eyes and took a deep breath, bracing himself before giving his reply.

He found that no words could make it past his lips. Nor could any air make it into his lungs.

His eyes shot open, panic building in his distress. Amon had his hand raised in his direction, his grip slowly closing. The Captain could feel his throat tighten in response. He started to claw at this neck, desperate to claim any form of respite from this sudden onslaught.

"I have known of your opinion of my mission since the moment I stepped aboard Captain." Amon began. "And know that I am less than impressed with the zeal that you have shown in service to me, and by extension the Emperor."

The bridge was deathly silent, no one daring to interrupt and face the Inquisitor's wrath. The crew could only watch as their captain was slowly brought to his knees by a force none of them could comprehend.

Amon allowed the crew to take in the spectacle he had created. It would be sure to remind them of their duty to the Empire, and the price of failure in pursuit of it.

"As of this moment, by the power invested in me by the Emperor himself, I am taking command of the _Equaliser_ and all who serve aboard her."

Leaning closer, Amon dropped his voice to a near whisper, yet still able to carry across the room.

"You are relieved of duty, _Captain_."

With a clench of his fist, Amon completely collapsed the man's trachea. The man fell to the deck with a dull thud, and ceased to move. Turning to face the rest of the bridge crew, Amon placed his hands behind his back.

"Well?" he said. "Everyone back to your stations."

The bridge immediately burst into life once more, everyone throwing themselves back into their duties with renewed enthusiasm. None of them wanted to fall foul of their new master, not after that distressing display of power.

Amon turned back to the viewport, his mind already mulling over ways to squeeze every last drop of efficiency from the ship's crew. He had a Star Destroyer to call his own now, and a mission to put it to good use.

"Soon you shall be in my grasp girl." He began, "And then you shall know the true glory of your destiny."


	3. Chapter 3: Escape

**Star Wars Book One: Force**

**Chapter 4: Escape**

**Planet Kurlik, Avanosh System, Outer Rim**

"Dammit Dammit Dammit!" Bolin cursed as the four of them ran for their lives, chased by a flurry of ruby red laser bolts.

"Keep moving! We can lose them up ahead!" Mako panted. They had been running for close to an hour now, ducking and weaving through alleyways and market stalls, pursued every step of the way by the damn bucket heads. Say what you would about their aim, they were relentless in their chase. Every time they thought had lost them, they would turn up again the second the group left their hideaway.

Mako spun around, firing off a tight burst from his stolen blaster, hitting one of the troopers dead in the chest. The stricken soldier was thrown off his feet and jerked back against his comrades, bowling them over and tripping the troopers behind them.

"You're good with that thing." Korra said between breaths, the pursuit starting to take its toll on her.

"I've had practice."

Korra didn't push. She knew his past with the Cartel was a touchy subject, and she respected him too much to dig too deeply into his affairs. Instead she focused her attention forward, eyes keen for anything that could help them lose the Imps.

She was nearly floored by the wave of apprehension, hitting her like freight train.

"Stop!" she cried out, panting heavily from the shock.

The rest of the group turned to face her, just as an explosion tore the end of the alley they were running to into ash and rubble, knocking all four of them to the ground.

Dazed and confused from the blast, they groggily made their way to their feet, shielding their eyes from the airborne micro debris.

"That was from a walkers laser cannon, they have us surrounded!" Asami panicked.

Shielding his eyes from the dust kicked up from the blast, Mako desperately searched for a way out of the kill box the Imperials had set up. There were no side doors into any of the buildings that surrounded them, and no ladders onto the rooftops. It all seemed hopeless, better to lay down and accept the inevitable.

"There! A manhole cover!" Bolin shouted, just as the rest of them had been about to give up hope.

Korra turned to where Bolin was pointing. Sure enough, there was a grate leading into the towns' sewer system. Not the most savoury form of escape, but it would have to do. Prying back the cover with the plasteel pipe she had carried with her, Korra frantically motioned for everyone to follow her.

"Inside! Everyone inside come on!" Korra urged.

Looking between the group, Korra saw the hesitation on their faces.

That hesitation quickly vanished when the clank of Plastoid boots on the pavement signalled that the Stormtroopers had gotten back to their feet.

Mako and Bolin all but dived into the hole, while Asami was a bit more dignified in her descent, jumping feet first into the dank underbelly of the town.

Korra was the last in. Pulling the grate over the hole after herself, the foursome made their way through the winding maze of waste pipes and sewage reservoirs, the space close and rank with the smell of unprocessed refuse.

"Oh god it's horrible down here." Bolin said, his face turning an interesting shade of green.

"Just keep moving bro." Mako replied, not looking much better.

The group walked for what seemed like hours, wading through filth and refuse as they sought a way out to the surface. Every so often they would stop, spooked by the sound of a splash or sloshing, fearing that the troopers had caught up to them. In such a confined space they wouldn't stand a chance. It always turned out to be a sewer pest on its hunt for food, a simple splash of water sending it on its way.

The tension was thick in the air. None of them believed that they had truly lost the Stormtroopers. There was only one way out of that alley after all.

"I see something. Looks like an access hatch." Asami called out from the front of the group.

Sure enough, an exit hatch was built into the wall ahead of them. There was a keypad next to the iris portal, clearly waiting for the right code to be input before it would cycle open.

"I might be able to slice the controls, but it might take some time."

"No rush." Mako replied.

Asami gave him a look before turning and starting to work on the mechanism. Korra and Bolin took up position, covering her and Mako from anything that may come down the waste channel.

"So now that we're out of imminent danger, do you mind telling me what this is all about?" Asami asked, her attention focused on her work.

"Basically we got the blame for something we didn't do." Mako explained. "We were out scavenging at the spaceport when the real terrorists attacked the governor, and some of his guards must have recognised us from a wanted holo or something."

"That doesn't explain why you came to me."

"We need to get off world Asami."

At that Asami stopped her efforts and looked at Mako, the shock evident on her face.

"What? Are things really that bad?"

"You know what the Imps are like. If we don't disappear they WILL find us. I don't plan on finding out what they do to their prisoners."

"Yeah neither do I. What do you want me to do about it though? I'm a fugitive as well now because of you."

Mako looked away, guilty that he had dragged Asami into their mess. She didn't deserve anything that was happening.

"I know, and I'm so sorry." Mako said quietly, "But you're the only one of us with any sort of connection that could help."

Asami contemplated his words, trying to think of a solution. She went back to slicing the hatch in the meantime, Mako waiting patiently for her to come up with a plan, Anything to get them out of this mess.

"You could have at least kept in touch." Asami suddenly whispered, her gaze still on the exposed innards of the locking mechanism.

Mako knew what she meant immediately. After he and Bolin had run from the Cartel, he had been forced to cut contact with her to keep hidden from the vengeful Hutts. It had been one of the hardest things he ever had to do in his short, painful life.

"You know I didn't have a choice. The things they were asking me to do… I couldn't live with myself if I had stayed with them."

"I know." Asami said, turning to face him. "Look I'm sorry I freaked out earlier. All the feelings I had when you ran just came back to the surface when I saw you. It's been so long."

"4 years 3 months and 13 days." Mako said, a smile tugging at his lips, Asami mirroring him.

"It is good to see you again. I just wish it could have been under better circumstances." Asami added.

Mako just smiled, happy that the bad blood between them had been so easily brushed away.

"Almost there. Just one more connection…"

The hatch suddenly irised open, blinding the four as raw sunlight flooded the channel.

"Nice work." Mako said to Asami.

"I… I hadn't finished…"

Their eyes adjusted to the glare, to reveal a cloaked figure silhouetted against the desert.

Mako threw Asami behind him, drawing his blaster and aiming at the stranger.

"There is no need for that young one." The man said, his voice laced with the wisdom of a life well lived.

"Who are you?" Mako said, his grip tightening on the trigger.

"I sensed your fear and anguish and came to help. There is a safe house a good few kilometres away where you can rest and plan the rest of your escape from this world."

Mako looked between him and Bolin, his brother giving him a sceptical look in response.

"How do you know about our plan? How do we know we can trust you?"

"He's telling the truth." Korra piped in.

Everyone turned to look at her, the man taking an especially keen interest. If he had been planning something Korra would know. That sense would definitely warn her like it always had before, but right now she felt something completely different. There was no apprehension, no tingle at the back of her mind. Instead, she felt oddly calm, like she was adrift on a still lake. She knew instinctively that she could trust this stranger, despite any logical judgement. Something about him felt familiar however, like she had felt his presence before. She wanted to find out why.

"It seems that fate works in mysterious ways." The man said, a warm smile decorating his aged features.

Now that their eyes had fully adjusted they could make out the man's face. His skin was pale, with a long, dark brown goatee decorating in mouth and chin. He looked to be in his late thirties, given the wrinkles around his eyes and mouth.

"Time is short. We must go now. I have a landspeeder parked nearby that can carry all of us." He said, turning around and walking towards one of the many rock spires that dotted the landscape.

Mako stared after him for a while, then turned to face the rest of the group.

"Do you really think we can trust him?" he asked Korra

"I don't know Mako, but I'm not getting any bad vibes from him. I think he might be our only chance."

Mako looked to Bolin, who only shrugged, then Asami, who mirrored Korra's opinion. Sighing heavily, Mako gestured for the group to follow, their tired feet kicking up plumes of dust and sand as they slogged after the stranger.

Coming up to the outcropping, the man pulled back a tarpaulin to reveal a very well maintained landspeeder as promised. Gesturing for the four to climb aboard, some needing more encouragement than others, the man gunned the throttle, the vehicle taking off with a roar of repulsorlift engines.

"What did you mean back there when you said you sensed us?" Asami called over the wind.

"I will explain everything once we arrive at our destination, and I do mean everything!"

Korra felt like that last remark was aimed directly at her. Did this man know something about her abilities? Was he the same as her?

The ride took close to an hour, in which time the group had a proper chance to get reacquainted. Korra was formally introduced to Asami, and the two hit it off very quickly, chatting about their experiences with the Imperials. Asami's stories were much more tame compared to Korra's, a side effect of growing up in privilege, and Korra found out why Asami had been able to take her down so quickly back outside the cantina. She had been taking self-defence classes at her father's request since she was very young, and had become very proficient in hand to hand combat. She had also apparently picked up a few tricks with a blaster from Mako when they were dating, though she hadn't had much practice since then. Korras respect for her grew immensely, despite their rocky introduction.

Finally, the speeder pulled up outside an old farmstead, far away from any civilisation. Climbing out of the speeder, the cloaked man unlocked the door leading into the farmhouse, beckoning the rest to follow him.

The interior was sparsely decorated, only a few faded holopaintings that had belonged to the previous owners hanging on the far wall. There was a fireplace built into the wall to the right of the door, and a makeshift kitchen on the left. In the centre a ragged old rug had been laid on the floor, some unusually lumpy looking cushions encircling it, clearly a makeshift living area.

Closing the door behind Bolin, the last to make it inside, the man removed his hood, revealing his shaved head.

"I think it is time for some introductions." He began. "My name is Tenzin."

The group ran through their names, Tenzin making sure to properly acknowledge everyone. Then the questions began.

"Why are you helping us?" Mako demanded.

At that Tenzin walked over to the kitchen, opening a battered, dented old refrigerator. There was a remarkably well kept power unit bolted to the floor in the back left corner of the room, keeping everything running.

"I could not in good conscience leave four innocent young adults to be interrogated by the Imperial Security Bureau, so I did the only logical thing I could." he replied, taking out a six pack of bottled water. Tossing one to each of them, they refreshed themselves, completely unaware of how thirsty they were until then.

"What did you mean back there when you said you sensed us?" Asami repeated.

"There are some of us who have abilities that some would consider unnatural Mrs Sato. I believe that one of your group is familiar with the concept." Tenzin added, his gaze directed firmly at Korra.

The rest followed his stare, causing Korra to squirm under their attention. Who was this guy? What did he mean abilities? What did any of this have to do with her?

"You have the ability to sense things before they happen, react to things that have not yet come to pass. I know you can because I can sense it within you Korra." Tenzin pressed.

Korra was stunned. As was everyone else in the room, bar Tenzin. Was this man the same as her? If he was it would explain a great deal many things, like how he had known where to find them and how he knew they were in trouble.

"What do you mean you can sense it within me? Sense what?" Korra added, feeling threatened by the mysterious sage.

"You are strong in the Force young one, stronger than any I have encountered for quite some time now." Tenzin answered.

"The Force? What is that?" Bolin chimed in.

"The Force is an energy field that surrounds everything in the universe. It penetrates us, binds us together, and it is alive. Some have the ability to manipulate the Force to assist us in our lives. Some use such power for good, but others use it for evil." Tenzin explained. "There was a time when I was part of an order known as the Jedi, a group of peacekeepers and scholars, defenders of the old Republic. That was before the dark times. Before the Empire."

"Please, some invisible energy field that we're all connected to? Sounds like a fairy tale to me, I'd rather put my trust in a good blaster." Asami voiced her opinion, Mako nodding in agreement.

"I cannot fault you for your scepticism Mrs Sato, especially since the Jedi were wiped out at the end of the Clone Wars."

"Wait, you fought in the Clone Wars?" Bolin asked, excitement dripping off every word. He had only heard stories from his old gang of the great conflict that had torn the galaxy apart before the Empire rose to power.

"I did. I was a Knight in the ranks of the Republic Army, young and adventurous. My master was killed before my eyes by our own troops on a world called Felucia. I only managed to escape because I had sense their murderous intentions before my master had." Tenzin said, his eyes downcast at the terrible memories being dredged up from the past.

"I… I'm sorry I didn't mean to…" Bolin began, ashamed that he had made Tenzin relive those dark times.

Tenzin looked up, his features determined "It matters not Bolin. What does matter is getting you and your friends to safety."

"And how do you propose we do that? The Imps have Kurlik on lockdown, we don't have a chance in hell of just getting on a shuttle." Mako said.

"I have a few contacts on this world, a few old friends from the days of the Clone Wars. I can get in touch and see if I can arrange to smuggle us off world."

"Us?" Korra piped in.

"I'm coming with you." Tenzin replied. "You will need my guidance if you are to control your power Korra. If left unchecked, you may be corrupted and turn to the Dark Side of the Force. The Empire has agents to facilitate such a process, one of whom I fear may be on his way to Kurlik as we speak." Tenzin added, urging them to accept him into their group.

Mako didn't know what to think. First a strange man in a cloak had helped them escape the Stormtroopers, then he revealed that Korra had some kind of superpower and now he wants to join them in their exile? This was like a surreal dream, one Mako hoped he would wake from any second from now.

He was brought out of his thoughts by the silence that permeated the room. All eyes were on him, everyone obviously electing him as the leader.

Sighing deeply, Mako shrugged,"Alright you can come with us. But if you do anything that puts any of us in danger, I will put you down personally."

Tenzin only smiled, holding out his hand. "I would expect nothing less."

Mako took it in his. Tenzins grip was firm, but benign. Mako was immediately reassured in his decision.

Korra mind was away with the sudden revelations. Everything she had ever believed she had been had turned out to be a lie. Her premonitions were no lucky sixth sense, she had been unknowingly tapping into this Force that Tenzin had been talking about. That left her thinking about her future. How could she use the Force to help her friends, to help others? Could she use it to fight the Empire? A whole new world of opportunities had suddenly opened up before her, and Korra was afraid.

**A/N**

**Longest chapter yet and in my opinion my best so far. Please leave a review I really do want to know how you guys think I'm doing. I'm not just doing this because I feel like it, though that is admittedly got me started, I'm also doing this to develop my skills as a writer.**

**Also in response to a guest review, you better believe that more characters from both universes will show up mark my words.**


	4. Chapter 4: Confrontation

**Star Wars Book One: Force**

**Chapter 4: Confrontation**

**Planet Kurlik, Avanosh System, Outer Rim**

They stayed the night in the cramped farmhouse, Tenzin producing a number of frayed sleeping bags from a storage cabinet built into the wall near the makeshift kitchen. At dawn they were awoken by Tenzin dropping a kitbag by each of their heads.

Bolin had the most animated reaction, bolting upright shouting bloody murder at the top of his lungs, which in turn cause a chain reaction among the rest of the group. Order was only restored when Tenzin had been able to talk Mako down, who had his blaster aimed square at Tenzin's head.

"Each of those bags contains a change of clothes and a blaster for defence." Tenzin began to explain. "You are too recognisable in your current outfits, and we will need to travel to the capital if we are to escape this world."

Warily, Mako reached for the bag closest to him. Sure enough there was a new set of clothes, a tight fitting, crimson red shirt with a dark brown jacket to match, along with a pair of dark grey trousers and new boots, his current pair caked in the refuse of the sewers. There was also a blaster as promised, much better maintained than the one he was currently in possession of.

Nodding to the rest of the group, they all got changed. Bolin had an outfit similar to Makos, though without his signature red scarf and a dark green shirt, Korra had been given a pair of loose fitting dark grey cargo trousers, with a matching cloak to wear over a blue tank top. Asami got an old black flight suit with red trim, obviously meant to disguise her as the groups' pilot. Each of them did indeed receive a blaster in the form of a well maintained DL-18, a very common, reliable and cheap blaster pistol that could be found across the galaxy. Korra and Asami tucked their pistols into the waist of their trousers, while Mako and Bolin found pockets on the inside of their jackets that could easily hold theirs, Mako keeping his holdout as a spare tucked in his right boot.

Once preparations had been made and breakfast eaten, which consisted of some old clone wars era ration packs, still fresh and edible after sixteen years, the group exited into the gloomy dawn of Kurliks outskirt wastes. How anyone thought they could keep a farm in this environment none of them knew.

"We must hurry. Everyone get aboard the speeder, I will join you shortly." Tenzin said before turning around and vanishing back inside the farmhouse.

Korra looked around. Ever since she had woken up she had been feeling strange. Not sick or out of sorts, but something was nagging at the back of her mind. Was it this Force trying to tell her something? A warning? If so, what?

Tenzin returned after a minute had passed, Korra catching a glimpse of him clipping a metallic cylinder to his belt and placing what looked like a holocommunicator into the folds of his robes. Climbing into the front passenger seat of the now crowded speeder, urging Asami forward into the driving position, the group set off towards the capital.

Korras curiosity got the better of her. About fifteen minutes into the journey, she spoke her mind.

"Who were you talking to?"

Tenzin turned to face her, his eyebrows raised, "What do you mean?"

Furrowing her brow, Korra grew impatient. "Don't play dumb Tenzin. I saw you with that comm back at the farmhouse. Who were you talking to?" she repeated her question.

Tenzin smiled. "You are very perceptive young one. I was making arrangements with one of my contacts in the city, the captain of a light freighter who may be able to smuggle us off world. She is perhaps our best, if only hope."

"A smuggler?" Mako piped up, "Are you sure we can trust her?"

"There is no doubt in my mind Mako." Tenzin replied, turning to face the young man, "We have a history together. She is one of only a small handful of people I would trust my life with."

Seemingly content with his answer, Mako eased back into his seat, nodding his acceptance to the older man. Sensing the turmoil in Korra's mind, Tenzin turned his attention back to her, Korra meeting his gaze with narrowed eyes, as if daring him to start.

"I know how you are feeling right now Korra." Tenzin began. "I feel the same. There is a disturbance in the force, growing by the second. I believe something is coming our way."

Korra just stared back at him, trying to stay composed. It was useless with Tenzin though. He could sense her fear, both at the disturbance, and at him. She must be very unnerved to have her thoughts read like that. He couldn't blame her, Tenzin had felt like that the first time his master had first revealed that little trick. Still, this entity that he felt had him greatly concerned. The last time he had felt something like it, he had nearly lost his life, and some of his friends had. There was no doubt in his mind.

He had arrived.

The thought of being in his presence again nearly mage him shudder. He had never felt such power within a single person. That was until recently. Korra was immensely strong. Tenzin could feel the Force swirling around her, like waves around an island, its soothing presence instilling calm and a sense of great security in him. Right there, Tenzin vowed to do all that he possibly could to lead Korra down the path to control her great power. He would teach her the ways of the Jedi, pass on the wisdom of the ancients to the next generation of an immeasurably old order.

One that sadly was constantly on the verge of total extinction.

The rest of the ride was uneventful until they reached the outskirts of the capital. Like the town they had found Asami in, every entrance was blockaded by the ubiquitous white armoured Stormtroopers and looming, bipedal walkers. AT-STs this time. Clearly the normal AT-DPs weren't enough for the Empire anymore.

Everyone except Tenzin was tenser than they had ever been in their life, on a wires edge waiting for their cover to be blown. Mako had nearly exploded when Tenzin had told Asami to pull up by the blockade and not find an alternate way in, raging that they would be caught, or the walkers would blast them to atoms once they had been identified.

Tenzin, exuding an air of confidence, had only told them to trust him.

Approaching the line of troopers, the captain of the detail raised his hand, signalling for them to stop. Asami looked at Tenzin, pleading him to reconsider.

"Do as he says Asami. Everything will be fine."

Reluctantly, Asami eased off the throttle and brought the speeder to a halt. The captain approached the driver's side door of the vehicle, silently observing the group for a minute.

He spoke, his voice distorted by his helmets external speakers.

"Identification. Now." He demanded, suspicion heavy in his voice.

Mako had slipped his hand inside his jacket, Bolin mirroring him, Korra already having her blaster in hand, hidden beneath her cloak. A bead of sweat ran down Asami's temple.

What happened next shocked them all.

Casually waving his hand, Tenzin spoke up.

"You do not need to see our identification."

There was a pause. Everyone had turned their attention to the Jedi.

"We do not need to see your identification." The captain echoed Tenzin's command.

Everyone's attention shifted back to the trooper, Bolin's jaw dropped.

Waving his hand again, Tenzin spoke another command.

"You may move along."

The captain stepped back, signalling for his squad to move aside and let the speeder through, the walkers turning their attention back to the wasteland beyond the city limits.

Tenzin nodded to Asami, who was still in shock at what had happened. Snapping out of her daze, she gunned the throttle and piloted the speeder through the winding streets of the border slums.

"How did you do that?" Bolin practically screeched, making hand gestures that didn't even try to hide his excitement, "They had us dead to rights and you just told them to let us through and they did!"

Smiling at the big man's antics, Tenzin simply explained, "The Force can be used to influence the mind of the weak willed."

Always wary, Mako suspicion of him intensified. Had he been manipulating them with this Force?

Reading his mind, Tenzin turned to him. "Do not worry Mako. None of you are weak enough to be susceptible to such manipulation."

Mako looked away, embarrassed that his thoughts had been revealed to the group. Bolin put a hand on his brothers' shoulder, giving him an empathetic smile.

"You can't blame him for being suspicious Tenzin." Korra started. "Hell, I still don't trust you."

"I know. I did not expect to gain your trust easily. I sense that you have had a tough life, filled with pain and anguish. But you must not let those feelings get the better of you, any of you. But you especially Korra, for that way lies the Dark Side."

Korra started at that. "What is the Dark Side? You mentioned it back at the farmhouse."

"The Dark Side is an aspect of the Force that draws power from raw emotion. Anger, greed, fear, jealousy, hatred and unrestrained passion grant Dark Side users their strength, but it is a false power. Emotions are powerful yes, but they are fleeting, unreliable and fickle. And it is all corrupting. Those who fall to the Dark Side tend to become apathetic, self-obsessed and merciless. The Emperor himself I would consider to be the embodiment of the Dark Side."

Korra was stunned. This Force business had suddenly become much more complicated, not to mention dangerous. If she gave into her emotions, would she really turn her back on her friends? Would she really turn on them? Hurt them? The mere thought of it terrified her.

No! That wouldn't do. Now more than ever Korra realised that she had to be strong, for to give in to her fear would only lead to suffering. She steeled herself, banishing her apprehensions from her mind. She would not fall to the Dark Side, she had a family to protect.

Tenzin smiled. Just one impromptu lesson in and Korra was already picking up on the ways of the Jedi. Only the weak gave in to the Dark Side, and Korra was anything but. Turning his attention back to the road ahead, he gave Asami directions to the meeting point.

Said meeting point turned out to be an old warehouse that once stored raw ores mined from the rich mineral deposits that dotted the mountains on Kurlik. Pulling up in a side alley, the five climbed out, Tenzin concealing the speeder under a tarpaulin. Motioning for them to follow him, he lead the four inside the building through a side door, just a few feet from the parked vehicle. Once inside, and satisfied that they hadn't been followed, Tenzin lead them through an abandoned break room, the cupboards long since looted of anything useful, and out onto the main storeroom of the warehouse. Dust and sand from the ore had left a carpet of detritus on the ground, their boots leaving shallow footprints in the sediment.

Leading them into the middle of the room, Tenzin looked at the floor, as if searching for something. After a few seconds, he stooped down and picked up a small, thin metal cylinder. There was a small red button on one end, and what looked like an antenna at the other. Pressing the button, Tenzin seemed to relax a little, though he still glanced around every so often. A few minutes passed, nothing seemed to have happened. Mako was about to voice his complaints about being left in the dark when the door at the far end of the room swung open. Turning to face the sudden noise, the four friends reached for their blasters, only to stop at the sight of the person in the doorway.

She was just a bit shorter than Tenzin, with black hair up in a bun and out of her face. A pair of scars ran parallel down her right cheek, and her eyes were a light green. She wore a black jacket, over what looked like a light grey form fitting, armoured vest. She wore grey cargo trousers, and had a heavy blaster pistol strapped in a holster on her left thigh. Black combat boots completed her imposing image.

The woman, presumably the freighter captain that Tenzin had been talking about, made her way towards them, her boots muffled by the debris that coated the floor. Stopping a couple of feet from Tenzin, there was a brief silence.

"It is good to see you again Lin." Tenzin said, easing the tension in the room.

"You to Tenzin." Lin replied, her face stoic. "I thought you were dead, something about an encounter with an Inquisitor?"

Tenzin shuffled uncomfortably. Clearly Lin had struck a nerve.

"I must say I was surprised to hear from you regardless. What do you need?"

At that, Tenzin's face hardened. "We need you to smuggle us off world Lin. It is paramount that we get off this planet before we are discovered by the Imperials."

Lin raised an eyebrow, unprepared for such a request. Her gaze travelled past Tenzin, scanning each of the young men and women he had led to this place. "What's so special about them? They don't look particularly important."

"The girl in the cloak is Force Sensitive Lin. And to make matters worse, I have sensed a dark presence on this world." Tenzin paused, still coming to terms with it himself. "He is here."

Lin paled. She had only heard stories and rumours about the Imperial Inquisition, and to find out that the Inquisitor that had almost killed her oldest friend was on this backwater? The girl must be why. There was literally nothing else that could draw such attention from the Empire.

"Hey, we're standing right here!" Korra piped up, not happy with being left out of a conversation that clearly concerned her.

A smile tugged at the corner of Tenzin's mouth, Lin mirroring the gesture. "I think I like her already." She said.

Tenzin turned to face the young adults. "My apologies Korra, it has been a long time since we last saw eachother." he said. Lin introduced herself to the rest of them, taking note of Mako's evident distrust.

"Don't mind him, he doesn't trust anyone he's just met." Bolin chimed in, noticing Lin's disapproval.

"Right." Lin drawled out.

Turning back to Tenzin, the group discussed their plan.

"How do you expect me to smuggle you aboard my ship? You know what Imperial Customs are like."

Tenzin smirked. "I can hide us from the guards and their scanners using the Force. You just need to act cool if you are questioned."

Lin didn't look convinced. "I've seen the Force in action, but I don't know about fooling droids! They don't have a mind to influence."

"Trust me Lin. I've gotten us out of worse messes before."

Lin looked away, deep in thought. The group waited with baited breath.

After a minute of silence, she made her decision.

"Central Spaceport Docking bay D-4. Meet me there in three hours. I have some preparations to make." she said before turning on her heel and marching out of the warehouse.

Relief swept through the group at her agreement to help them. Korra, Asami and Bolin were grinning from ear to ear, while Mako simply let a warm smile spread across his lips. Tenzin to seemed to relax, his shoulders dropping, letting out a sharp sigh of relief.

"Looks like we have some time to kill." Bolin said, still bouncing on his feet. "Mako, do you still have that Pazaak deck?"

Reaching into his jacket with a grin, Mako produced a set of ornate playing cards that he had once swiped from a Cartel boss.

"You in Asami?" he asked

"No thanks, I'm more of a Dejarik girl." She replied.

"I'm afraid we must keep moving." Tenzin interrupted. Mako and Bolin both looked dejected at the thought of more running. "We can rest once we are aboard Lin's ship."

For the next two hours, they moved from abandoned building to abandoned building, edging closer towards the Spaceport, avoiding the heavy Imperial presence that had grown throughout the city like mould. A couple of times they were spotted by a patrol and stopped, but each time Tenzin was able to trick them with some deft Force usage. Before long, they were at the entrance of the Spaceport, pulling their cloaks around them, the group made their way through the main archway.

"Be on your guard everyone." Tenzin warned. "We will find more than simple Stormtroopers here."

Making their way down rows of landing bays, they finally came to the waiting area for Bay D-4. It was a larger semi-circular space, with a blast door taking up the most of the flat side, and waiting benches covering the opposite wall. A small customs station was built into the wall next to the blast door, and a bored looking agent in pale grey Officers garb sat behind a terminal.

Approaching the booth, Tenzin rapped his fist on the Plexiglas screen, startling the official.

"Hello there! We need access to the bay, we have a flight to catch."

The man just gave Tenzin a blank look. Then, his voice devoid of all emotion, said, "All persons wishing to access the docking bays need to obtain level Delta clearance from the Imperial Starport Authority, or written permission from the captain of the ship currently docked within."

"Oh come now," Tenzin said, leaning on the edge of the Booth, "Surely we can just go ahead, the captain of the ship inside is waiting on us."

The Customs official reached for his intercom, tinkering with the settings. After a minute, Tenzin could hear the man conversing with Lin, obviously verifying his claims. Tenzin could sense the poor man's frustration, his annoyance with his superiors at him apparently being left out of the loop.

"Go ahead sir." He said, after finishing his call "Have a pleasant flight."

Tenzin nodded his thanks, and seconds later the blast door hissed open, revealing their salvation.

Lin's ship was a heavily modified HWK-290, long and angular like a sea predator. Originally built without any weapons whatsoever, it had been outfitted with a pair of heavy laser cannons, slung underneath the ship just behind the cockpit, with another two pairs of turreted cannons on the top and bottom of the cockpit. At the back of the ship, the engines sat linearly arranged, rectangular nacelles, two on each side of the main hull, separated by a pair of vertical tail fins.

Lin was standing by the lowered embarkation ramp, positioned in the centre of the main hull. Turning to face them at the sound of the opening blast door, she walked over to them, gesturing with her head for them to get aboard.

Suddenly Tenzin froze, his eyes going wide. Korra had doubled over, gasping for air as if she had been winded. Mako ran to Korra's side, gripping her by the shoulders.

"Korra! What's wrong?"

"He…. He's here!" Korra panted between breaths.

Tenzin slowly turned, facing the blast door, now shut with them inside.

They were not alone.

A dark figure now stood behind them, his face hidden behind a while mask, a red circle painted on its forehead. He was clad entirely in black, what seemed to be a hooded overcoat over a high collared shirt, with a pair of black combat trousers and shin high black boots. He had a silver cylinder clipped to his utility belt, and he exuded fear.

"Well," He began, his deep voice rumbling throughout the bay, "This was most unexpected."

"Everyone get behind me!" Tenzin shouted, throwing his arms out to his side. Everyone obeyed, trying to get as far from the stranger as possible. "Lin, get the ship started. Everyone else get on board."

Nodding, Lin ran up the ramp of her freighter, making a beeline for the cockpit, the rest of the group following close behind.

"You cannot save them Tenzin." The man said, amusement heavy in his tone.

Tenzin said nothing, instead reaching for the metal cylinder on his belt.

"You can go on your way if you but hand over the girl, Korra I believe her name is."

"I will give you nothing Sith." Tenzin said, igniting his lightsaber, its emerald green blade springing forth with a loud snap-hiss.

Amon simply clasped his hands behind his back, completely unintimidated by the threatening gesture.

"I will not ask again, Jedi." He said, his eyes narrowing behind his mask.

By now the ships engines were beginning to spool up, a low whine permeating the air. Korra appeared on the ramp, shouting at Tenzin to get onboard.

Amon's attention shifted to her. Korra froze, realising her mistake too late. Amon raised his hand, and before she knew what was happening, Korra was thrown from the ramp, across the docking bay and slamming into the far wall. Collapsing in a heap, Korra struggled to rise, the shock of the impact stunning her beyond action.

"I will deal with you after I have slain your master, young one."

Tenzin charged.

In the blink of an eye, Amon's lightsaber was in his hand, its crimson blade humming with barely restrained energy.

The two clashed, a sharp bark signalling the collision of the weapons magnetic containment fields. Trading blows, Tenzin matching Amon with every swing, every deflection brought around into repose, not a motion wasted, the Sith Lord and the Jedi Knight duelled.

"You have improved significantly since our last encounter." Amon appraised, his sabre locked with Tenzin's, crackling against its emerald blade.

"As have you." Tenzin said, breaking the stalemate and thrusting his sabre forward, intending to impale the Sith. Amon simply dodged to the side, his hand clamping around Tenzin's wrist, holding it in place.

"Still sloppy. It seems time cannot correct even that."

Korra awoke, pushing herself to her knees. Raising her head, still throbbing from the impact with the wall, her attention was drawn to the fierce duel between Tenzin and the stranger. He eyes went wide, locked on the strange weapons they wielded. Was that what the cylinder she had seen on his belt was? There was a pause in the fighting, as they had locked their swords together. Suddenly, Tenzin broke the lock, thrusting his weapon towards the black clad man. The man caught his wrist, raising his own sword to deliver the killing blow.

Panicking, fearful for Tenzin's life, desperate, struggling against the inevitable, Korra did all she could think to do.

With a great shout, Korra thrust her arms towards the Sith. Suddenly Korra felt a surge of power flow through her, surging out of her outstretched hands.

The man was thrown across the room.

Tenzin turned, his life had been about to end when he had felt her panic. Korra's face was pure disbelief, her mouth hanging open, slowly, she looked down at her hands, unable to believe she had done that. Rising to his feet, extinguishing his lightsaber, Tenzin ran to her, grabbing her by the wrist.

"Come on! We don't have much time before he recovers!"

Dragging her behind him, Tenzin ran up the ramp of the ship, by this point its engines were shrieking on standby.

"Go! Get us out of here Lin!"

"Don't need to tell me twice." She muttered in response.

Raising the ramp of the freighter, its repuslorlift drives spun to full power. With a jolt the landing struts left the ground, sliding back inside the hull. The ship left the confines of the docking bay, its sublight drive flared, surging the craft forward on four blazing trails of exhaust.

Rising to his feet, Amon watched the starship retreat into the distance. His anger flared. He had failed in his mission.

Lord Vader will not be pleased,


	5. Chapter 5: Vows

**Star Wars Book One: Force**

**Chapter 5: Vows**

**Escape trajectory from Planet Kurlik, Avanosh System, Outer Rim**

The freighters powerful engines drove it through the rapidly diminishing atmosphere, powering towards the infinite void of space. In the cockpit, Lin struggled with the controls, never having to put the ship through the kind of stress it was currently experiencing. Not long after clearing the spaceport, scanners had picked up a squadron of TIE fighters on an intercept trajectory. Lin had ordered Mako and Bolin into the guns on the ventral and dorsal sides of the main flight deck, and even now she could hear the screech of the heavy lasers as they spat sapphire bolts into the enemy formation.

"Got one! I got one!" Bolin whooped, his target currently an expanding ball of burning gas and debris.

"Nice shot bro, keep it up!" Mako encouraged, just as the ship shook from another hit, emerald green lasers slamming into the deflector shields.

Lin was not in such good spirits.

"Do you have any idea where we're going?" she demanded from Tenzin, who had just joined them in the cockpit.

"Anywhere that's not here would do right now!"

Lin whirled on him, her frustration boiling over, "That doesn't help!"

Asami, who had taken the role as Lin's co-pilot, joined the argument. "Do you know anywhere that's off the beaten track? Some backwater somewhere far, far away from the Empire?"

Lin turned her attention back to piloting their way into deep space, fighting with the controls to outmanoeuvre the Imperial fighters.

"There's one place I know about. I've never been there but it's as isolated as you can get."

Tenzin put his hand on Lin's shoulder. "That sounds perfect."

Suddenly the scanner warbled an alarm. Two new signatures had just showed up on the screen. Big signatures. Lin visibly paled.

"Kriff! We've got two Star Destroyers closing in!"

Frantically, she input the coordinates of their destination into the ships navicomputer. Another alarm went off, signalling that the rear deflector shield was nearing collapse.

"On my mark Asami." Lin ordered, reaching for the hyperdrive control. Asami mirrored her, her hand gripping the lever.

Lin tugged on the flight controls with her free hand, aligning the freighter with its destination. All the while, the Star Destroyers advanced towards them.

"Lin those Star Destroyers are almost in range to use their tractor beams!" Tenzin said, his voice strained with worry.

"Almost there…" Lin muttered distantly.

"We have to wait Tenzin." Asami began to explain. "A blind hyperspace jump is one of the worst things you could possibly do."

Tenzin glance back at the scanner. It showed fifteen seconds until the capital ships were in range.

The navicomputer beeped, ready to throw the ship into hyperspace at a moment's notice.

"Now Asami!" Lin yelled triumphantly.

Pulling back on the control, the two women engaged the freighters hyperdrive. With a high pitched whine, the system spooled up to full power, the stars before them distorting into streaks of pure white brilliance before, with a jolt of acceleration, giving way to the murky blue maelstrom of hyperspace.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Tenzin took a seat at the tertiary control station, just behind the main pilot's station, running a hand over his shaved head. That had been too close. Looking up, he saw that Lin was still hard at work, monitoring for any sign of pursuit, while Asami had basically collapsed into her chair, clearly not used to the stress of evading an Imperial interdiction.

"Asami, go and rest. There's a rec room down the corridor, second door on the right." Lin said, not looking away from her task. "Tenzin and I have to talk."

Asami looked between her and Tenzin, then without a word she stood and left the cockpit. It was just the two adults now.

"So what is this place you spoke of? Where is it?" Tenzin inquired.

"It's a dust ball of a world in the Arkanis sector, a long way from here. Tatooine I think it's called."

**Rec Room, En Route to Arkanis Sector**

Asami threw herself down into the booth closest to the door, leaning back into the fine upholstery with an explosive sigh. She'd grown up around ships, becoming a damn good pilot and engineer in the process, but nothing could have prepared her for a real fight. She thought back on the events of the last couple of days. She had gone from the heiress of one of the largest companies in known space, one of the most important military contractors in the Empire, to a 'collaborator'. The Empire really like their labels.

Not that Asami really cared. She had always held great concern for the role her father's company had in the suffering of the untold trillions under Imperial rule. The TIE series fighters they produced had become a symbol of oppression and the unimaginable tyranny of the Emperor. In truth, she was glad to be rid of it all. In a strange way, being on the run from the Empire had brought her a great sense of liberty, a chance to live life by her own rules, not the old traditions she had been expected to follow back on Kurlik.

Deep in thought, Asami failed to realise she was not alone in the room.

Korra was sat at a dejarik table in the far right corner, her arms folded, resting on the table, her head bowed. It all seemed so surreal to her. Had she really thrown that man, an Inquisitor Tenzin had called him, across the room? She was still coming to terms with the very idea if the Force, and then she manages to tap into it in sheer desperation. It scared her. Not the Force itself, but the implications of her connection to it. She had no idea if she could control her power, if she was able to restrain herself.

She was scared of losing control and hurting the people she cared about.

They were all that she had. Ever since the Empire took her parents from her she had almost always been with Mako and Bolin. They had taken her in when they had nothing themselves, and she had grown to love them as if they were her family. The thought of harming them in any way was terrifying. Right there she made a vow. No matter what happens, wherever their path may take them, Korra would do all that she could to master her abilities, and use the Force to protect her friends.

She started at the sound of Asami's voice.

"You ok Korra?" she began, sitting down opposite her. "You look like something's really bothering you."

Korra smiled. She had only known her for a day and she could already tell that she and Asami were going to become good friends.

"I'm ok, thanks for asking." She said. "Just thinking about all this Force business."

"I know what you mean." Asami sighed. "All my life I was raised around technology and only heard stories about the old Jedi. I never thought they actually existed until Tenzin showed up. It's like finding out your favourite fairy tale actually happened."

"It's not that." Korra said her gaze dropping to the table. "Back in the docking bay I think I did something. That Inquisitor was about to kill Tenzin and I just reacted. I…. I think I threw him across the bay with the Force."

"That is precisely what you did Korra."

Korra and Asami both turned at the sound of Tenzin's voice. Standing in the doorway, he had a hard look on his face, his gaze directed at Korra.

"You tapped into the Force in your desperation. Your connection is more powerful than I originally thought."

He made his way to the table, standing between the two women. His expression softened.

"It would seem that I underestimated you. I now believe that we should begin your training as soon as possible."

Korra jumped to her feet, her face the image of determination.

"When do we start?"

Tenzin was a little taken aback. He wasn't expecting such enthusiasm from someone who had just performed an act they, until recently, though impossible.

"As soon as we can gather the necessary equipment, and secure an area large enough to perform the required exercises."

Korra nodded, eager to begin. Tenzin could sense her fear however, and he could sympathise. He had felt the same when his master had revealed the nature of the Force to him, all those years ago.

"I'll talk to Lin and see if we can use the cargo hold. There should be enough space there for our needs."

Tenzin turned and walked out the door. Korra sighed, her shoulders slumping. Sitting back down at the dejarik table, she put her head in her hands.

"You'll get a handle on this Korra." Asami began, putting her hand on her shoulder. "You seem like the strong type."

Korra smiled. It felt good to know someone had so much faith in her. Even if it was someone she had only just met.

"How about a game to take your mind off things?" she continued. "Have you ever played dejarik before?"

**Cockpit, En route to Arkanis Sector**

Tenzin once again entered the cockpit, intent on obtaining Lin's permission to begin the long process of shaping Korra into a guardian of the Light Side. As he walked through the door, Lin turned in her seat to face him, a smirk decorating her features.

"You can forget about those Star Destroyers, they didn't even get a lock on us before we jumped."

Tenzin allowed himself a moment to rejoice. Against all odds, they had escaped the clutches of the Empire. It felt good to outsmart and outmanoeuvre such a monolithic foe.

"That is excellent news. I'm glad you're in such a good mood. I have a favour to ask."

At that Lin's smirk faltered.

"I wish to use the ship's cargo hold to train Korra. It is the only place on board that has the space and equipment needed to properly instruct her in the ways of the force."

"Sure."

Tenzin blinked. That had been much easier than her had expected.

"Sure?"

"Yeah why not?" Lin replied. "I've seen you in action, I know what the Force is. Just don't tear open a bulkhead."

With that she turned back to the console, monitoring their progress towards their destination.

Tenzin simply shrugged and turned to leave. Before he could open the door however, Lin spoke up again.

"What do you plan on doing once we reach Tatooine?"

Tenzin paused. He hadn't thought that far ahead. Until now he had been focused on escaping the Empire.

He turned around, his gaze meeting Lin's.

"I honestly don't know Lin. I suppose we will have to go into hiding for a while. I will occupy myself with training Korra, but I have no idea what to do with the others."

Lin leaned back in her seat. "I guess I'll need to lay low as well. The Empire will have me labelled as a collaborator like the rest of you."

"I'm sorry I dragged you into this Lin." Tenzin said. "It was not my intention."

Lin just waved him off. "Don't worry about it. This is more exciting than a few trade runs anyway."

Tenzin nodded, happy that things were so civil between the two of them.

"So how've you been since we last met?" Lin asked, changing the subject.

**Star Destroyer **_**Equaliser, **_**Orbiting Planet Kurlik**

Amon stalked down the corridor, marching towards his quarters. He was in no mood for interruptions. More than once he had sent an officer running with a withering glare, the threat of imminent death always guaranteed when in his presence. The Jedi's presence had been unexpected, unprecedented even. How he had managed to hide from him Amon had no idea. The thought unnerved him. If Tenzin could teach that ability to his new padawan, his job would become much more difficult.

And Lord Vader does not tolerate failure.

He arrived at his quarters. Taking position in front of the holoterminal, he braced himself for his master's reaction to his failure. With a low whine, Lord Vader's image once again materialised over the emitter.

"Lord Amon. I sense that you have much to report."

His head bowed, Amon supressed a shiver at the tone of the Sith Lord.

"Unfortunately, my lord, the girl was able to escape my grasp with the assistance of a Jedi Knight."

"I am well aware of the situation. My spies have already passed their findings to me."

Amon braced himself. He waited to feel his throat tighten from Lord Vader's will. He waited to feel his wrath invade his mind and reduce him to a quivering mass on the floor, his mind broken and his body beyond his control.

What happened next shocked him.

"Your objective has now changed. You are now to hunt down these rebels, wherever they may run, and eliminate them. Now that the girl is in the company of a trained Jedi, she will not turn to the Dark Side willingly. She must be destroyed. This is my master's command."

Amon was dumbstruck. Not only had Lord Vader brushed off his failure, an act that was completely unheard of, he had entrusted him with the will of the Emperor himself. Why? He had failed to deliver the girl to him, and now she was most likely being trained as a Jedi. She could become one of the greatest threats to the Empire, and all because he had let her slip through his grasp.

"The Jedi was an unforeseen complication." Lord Vader began. "You cannot be faulted for failing to sense his presence. Despite your power, you still have not fully grasped the true power of the Dark Side. I am giving you this chance for redemption because I believe that you may yet master your abilities."

Amon relaxed, the promise of his demise passing from his thoughts. Raising his head to look directly at the hologram, he made his vow.

"The will of the Emperor will be done my lord. I shall not fail you again."


	6. Chapter 6: Arrival

**Star Wars Book One: Force**

**Chapter 6: Arrival**

**In Hyperspace, En Route to Tatooine**

The cargo hold wasn't as large as Tenzin had hoped, but it was sufficient. After briefing everyone on the plan after they arrive on Tatooine, as well as explaining just what Korra's training would involve, he had instructed everyone to stay out of the hold while he and Korra were conducting his planned regime.

That was what they were doing now. Korra had a naturally lean physique, enhanced and kept in tone from her years on the streets, but to be a Jedi, she needed more than just physical prowess on her side. To achieve this, Tenzin had arranged a series of exercises, some physical but mostly mental, in order for her to fully master her connection to the Force.

Korra was currently undergoing an exercise to test both her physical and mental abilities. She had been blindfolded, Tenzin's lightsaber in her hands. A practice probe circled her, occasionally firing off a small stun pulse from one of many emitters that dotted its surface. The purpose of the exercise was to test her reflexes, and her ability to use the Force to predict when the probe would fire, and block the pulse with the lightsaber.

So far she had failed to block a single shot.

Yelping from the stinging energy, Korra tore off her blindfold, her frustration boiling over.

"This is useless!" she yelled, extinguishing the lightsaber. "How am I supposed to block the probe if I can't see it?"

Tenzin sighed. He had hoped that Korra would be able to instinctively react, like she had done back in the docking bay on Kurlik. It would seem she needed more guidance than he thought.

"You are focusing too much on the physical action of blocking Korra," He began. "You must be able to react instinctively, as if the lightsaber is an extension of your own body."

Korra took a deep breath, closing her eyes. She couldn't lose herself. She had to master this if she was going to keep her emotions in check. She thought back to what Tenzin had made her memorise. The old Jedi code.

There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is the Force.

She repeated the mantra over and over again in her mind, allowing its words to soothe her, to calm her and ease her mind. Taking one final breath, she opened her eyes.

"I'm sorry Tenzin, I'm just not used to all of this Force stuff yet."

"I know Korra," Tenzin said, his face kind. "I did not expect you to become a master overnight."

Standing up, Tenzin made his way towards her. "Let's try something else." He began, retying the blindfold over Korra's eyes. "Instead of trying to anticipate where the next blast is coming from, I want you to relax. Empty your mind and allow the Force to guide you."

Korra only nodded. She let all of her thoughts leave her mind until all she could feel was the throb of the ships engines under her feet, the near unperceivable breeze from the ships atmosphere recyclers, the slight creak of the hull as it was subjected to the rigours of hyperspace.

There was something more however. Almost like background noise. Korra reached out, her curiosity peaked. Her mind brushed the edge of the swirling energy, and was immediately enveloped in a maelstrom of power she could not even begin to fathom. Gasping, she stumbled, almost falling to the ground. As quickly as it had begun however, the vortex subsided. Korra now felt like she was adrift in a tranquil sea of cosmic energy. She could sense so much more than her immediate surroundings. She could feel Tenzin next to her, his mind coming up with new ways to test her. She could feel Bolin having his ass handed to him by Asami at a game of dejarik, and both her and Mako's amusement at his desperate attempts to pull it back in his favour. She could sense Lin in the cockpit, reading something on a datapad.

And above all else, she could feel the near infinite power of the Force flowing though her, like a cool refreshing breeze on a hot summers day, washing away her frustration and giving her a sense of great tranquillity.

The probe hovered around her, bobbing up and down on tiny puffs of gas from its impeller motors. It let off a quick trio of shots.

Sensing the danger Korra ignited the lightsaber, and blocked every single one.

She could feel Tenzin swell at her success. She tore the blindfold off once again, this time beaming with excitement.

"I did it! Did you see that Tenzin I did it!" Korra whooped, bouncing up and down, unable to contain herself.

"Well done Korra." Tenzin said, a warm smile gracing his features. "You connected with the Force, allowed it to guide your movement. You have taken the first step on the path of the Jedi."

Korra couldn't control the grin on her face. She felt so…. so alive! Like she had been living in the dark and suddenly she found the sun, feeling its warm rays on her face and bathing in its luminance.

"We will continue with this exercise until I am sure you can maintain your connection. Once I am happy with your progress, we will move onto more strenuous exercises."

Korra was about to ask what he meant when the ships intercom beeped. Tenzin turned and walked towards the console by the door, answering the call.

Lin's voice rang out across the hold.

"Just thought you'd want to know we'll be coming out of hyperspace in ten minutes."

"About time." Korra grumbled. They had been in hyperspace for close to two days now. Apparently Tatooine was on the other side of the damn galaxy from Kurlik.

"Thank you Lin, we're on our way." Tenzin responded.

Shutting off the intercom, he turned back to his new Padawan.

"Training will have to wait for now." He said, keying the door control which opened with a hiss of pneumatics. Making their way to the cockpit, Korra thought back on their voyage. During their little game, she and Asami had gotten to know each other very well, talking about this and that while Asami absolutely destroyed her. They had even shared some of their stories about Mako with each other, much to the embarrassment of said street rat. Not long after they had finished, Tenzin had turned up and dragged Korra away to the cargo hold to begin her training. That first session had been her formal introduction to the ways of the Jedi. No actual physical or mental exercise had taken place, instead Tenzin had opted to teach Korra the fundamental role of the Jedi, and their guiding philosophy, including the Jedi code.

It had been more difficult than Tenzin had hoped to get Korra to pay attention. More than once he had caught her dozing off as he attempted to pass on the wisdom that his master had ingrained in his memory. He had only managed to gain her full attention after he had decided to take a more practical approach. Korra had been in awe as he had demonstrated the power that the Force can grant, moving cargo crates as it they were in zero gravity, blocking shots with his lightsaber, a brilliant green white blur as it spun in elegant arcs, deflecting the probes stun pulses harmlessly into the bulkheads of the cargo bay. Korra had been much more attentive to his words after that.

Arriving in the cockpit, they were greeted by the rest of the makeshift crew. Asami was once again seated next to Lin in the co-pilot seat, engrossed in her new duties. Mako and Bolin were standing behind her, Mako's arm around Bolin's shoulder. Apparently Bolin had been so badly defeated by Asami he needed his brother to console him.

"You'll get her next time bro." Korra heard Mako say as the doors opened. Turning around, the brothers greeted her with warm smiles.

"Hey! How was it?" Mako asked.

Korra was still beaming. "It was amazing Mako! I connected to the Force. I felt everything on the ship like I was right next to it!"

Mako smiled, any doubts he had about Tenzin finally fading away. He very rarely saw Korra so excited, happy almost. They had lived a hard life back on Kurlik. He almost thanked the stars for the Empire placing that bounty on their heads, otherwise they never would have tried to get off world. Now they had a chance to start over, make something of themselves on a world where nobody would recognise them.

And they would be safe. From what he understood, Tatooine was far away from the Empire, though he had heard that the Hutts had the planet firmly under their control. Mako could live with that. If the Hutts here were anything like his old gang, he would know how to make sure everyone stayed out of trouble with them.

The navicomputer beeped. They were coming up on Tatooine now.

"Alright, get ready Asami." Lin said. The two women reached for the hyperdrive control. "Now."

Pushing the lever forward, the maelstrom of hyperspace dissipated, the stars before them realising themselves as white streaks, before finally settling into the familiar, glittery black expanse of real space. Sat before them was their goal, an angry, pale orange globe against the pristine void.

"Tatooine." Lin began. "Kriff it's even more barren than I thought."

"Is there anywhere we can land?" Tenzin asked.

Lin leaned forward, studying the ships scanners. "Looks like there's a settlement in the northern hemisphere, pretty big from the look of it. It has to have a starport."

"Let's head there then." Mako said. "It looks like it's our only option."

"No." Tenzin began, leaning forward to study the scanner. "We should not draw attention to ourselves. Land us outside that smaller town to the south, far enough that they cannot see us but not outside walking distance."

Asami nodded. Lin just shrugged. Turning their attention back to the helm, the two women took them down. Descending through the atmosphere, the ship's hull shuddering from the sudden turbulence, they made their way towards a sand blasted mesa to the south east of the town. The freighter came in low across the terrain, below the limits of what any decent sensors can detect, kicking up a dust storm as the wake of the ships repulsorlift drive met the ground. At the last minute Lin pulled back on the controls, narrowly missing the sheer face of their makeshift landing zone.

With a clank and a whir, the freighters landing struts lowered from their bays. Kicking up a maelstrom of dust and sand, the freighter set down on the sun baked earth, their long voyage finally came to an end.

The first thing that Korra felt when the ramp lowered was the heat. Such dry, scalding heat! It was as if the entire planet was one great furnace! The second thing she noticed was how bright it was, Tatooine's twin suns responsible for both of these environmental extremes. She couldn't look at the sand for long, the bone white sea reflecting the light as if it were shining off of a mirror. On the plus side, the sky was nearly perfectly clear, a wonderful blue expanse broken by only a few wisps of cloud.

They didn't have much time to contemplate their new home before Tenzin broke their reverie.

"Let's get moving." He said, "The settlement is a good distance away, and we cannot be out in this heat for long."

The ship's cargo ramp lowered from its belly with a hiss, their transport making its way down the metal incline. Lin had provided them with an old speeder bike, big enough for two people to sit comfortably. Tenzin had decided that he and Korra would be the ones to make the initial journey into whatever cesspit awaited them. Mounting the aging vehicle, Tenzin powered up its repulsorlift drive. Rising from the sun bleached rock of the mesa, he gunned the throttle, the speeder bike taking off with a reverberating roar.

Korra clung on for dear life. The speeder bike had no safety restraints, so she was forced to hold onto the frame of the vehicle, finding hand grips where there the bike's designers really hadn't considered putting any. Tenzin, with his grip firmly on the bike's controls, didn't have that problem. They made good speed, the ground beneath them a blur as they raced towards their destination.

"Where first?" Korra yelled, struggling to make herself heard over the din of the bike's engine.

"We'll try to find better transport." Tenzin replied, his attention never wavering from the makeshift road. "Then, we'll try and find somewhere more permanent to lay low. We don't want to draw unnecessary attention to ourselves."

"Yeah, you've already said that." Korra deadpanned. In her mind, Tenzin was being far too cautious. They were entire sectors from Kurlik, and the Empire couldn't have managed to follow them through hyperspace. They were safe on this backwater.

At least that's what she hoped.

**Anchorhead, Tatooine**

Owen Lars was a man on a mission. His nephew had once again run off after his chores. The boy was too spirited for his own good, always making his own adventures much to his chagrin. He swore that when he finally caught up to him he'll be scrubbing power converters for a week! And Owen knew exactly where to look for him.

Tosche Station. Ever since that Fixer character had taken over the place, it was the go to meet up for Luke and his little group of friends. Owen sometimes regretted letting him get that Skyhopper. Sure, it gave Luke something to do, and he was glad to see his nephew so happy after he had taken it out for a spin, but it was all that he spent his spare time on for the last few months, ever since he turned seventeen. Making his way to the small repair shop on the outskirts of the town, he could already see the mop of sandy blond hair that stood Luke apart from the rest of the crowd. He was about to call out to him, remind him of his responsibilities, when a rundown old speeder bike raced past him towards the building, its engine whooping as it spun down. Undeterred, he continued his advance.

"Luke! You and I need to have a word young man!"

Luke Skywalker cringed, turning from his conversation with his friend Biggs, knowing what was about to happen. It must be important, normally Uncle Owen wouldn't make the trip from their moisture farm to Anchorhead without good reason, especially since Luke had finally gotten a speeder of his own and could do all the supply runs himself. Turning back to his friends, he made his goodbyes and moved towards his glowering guardian, ready to face what promised to be one hell of a talking to.

"Hey Uncle Owen." Luke said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"How many times do I need to tell you Luke, you can't just run off on me and your aunt like that!" Owen ranted. "What if we needed you? What if the sand people come and we don't have the speeder to make a getaway?"

Luke's gaze dropped. "Sorry Uncle Owen, I wasn't thinking."

"Damn right you weren't." Owen's face softened. "Luke, I don't mind you hanging out with your friends. You're growing up, and you can make your own decisions in life. But you need to consider others around you before you do. I needed you to help me with the vaporators after you'd finished your chores, and I wasn't happy to find you'd taken yourself off."

Luke was a little surprised. Uncle Owen was normally quite harsh when Luke stepped out of line. Why was he being so lenient now?

"You're not going to make me clean power converters are you?"

At that Owen laughed. "I was going to, but I think it's past time for me to dole out punishments. I guess I hadn't realised how much you've grown since you were a baby."

Luke gaze dropped to the ground. Why Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru had never told him about his parents had always bothered him. Anytime he did ask, Uncle Owen always said his father had been the pilot of a spice trader during the Clone Wars and left it at that. For some reason the topic made both of them uncomfortable. They never talked about his mother. All he had known was his aunt and uncle, and while he was grateful for all that they had done for him, teaching him to be a good person and providing him with so much despite their low status, he was beginning to chafe under their care. He longed to escape this world. He wished to see the star more than anything, to travel to other worlds and meet new people.

He didn't want to spend the rest of his life on a moisture farm.

"We'll talk more when we get back to the farm" Owen said, snapping Luke out of his reverie. "You can stay here for a while longer but we need those vaporators running properly before sundown."

"Ok. I'll be back in an hour then." Luke said perking up.

Owen turned to leave. "Remember, before sundown. And I mean both suns!"

Luke smiled, waving his uncle goodbye. He turned and made his way back to Tosche Station, only to find that Biggs had gone. With a sigh, he made his way inside to see if Fixer was still around. Sure enough he was, though he was deep in conversation with a man Luke had never seen before. He hadn't been there before Uncle Owen had turned up that's for sure. From what he overheard he was looking to buy a land speeder, and something about looking for any work that needed done around town. Deciding that it wasn't any of his business, Luke turned around with a shrug, exiting back into the scorching heat of a Tatooine Midday. Finding some shade by the side of the main hanger, he leaned against the wall and let out an explosive sigh. His conversation with Uncle Owen had gotten him thinking about his future again. What was the best way off of this world? The only thing he could think of was to join the Imperial Academy, maybe becoming a fighter pilot. He was still only seventeen though, and he wouldn't qualify for training for about another nine months.

"Rough day huh?"

He was drawn out of his thoughts by the sound of her voice, both kind and dangerous at once. Turning, he found her deeper in the shadow of the hanger, a light cloak draped around her.

"No actually." Luke replied, his voice wavering from his surprise. He studied her more closely, catching sight of her piercing blue eyes and dark skin under the cloaks hood.

Shrugging, the mystery girl pushed herself off the wall. "Lucky you." She said moving towards him. "You live around here?"

"Just a bit outside town, why do you ask?"

"My friend inside asked me to see if anyone needed any work done. You wouldn't know anyone who needs help would you?"

Luke made a show of looking around, his eyebrows raised. "Bit of a strange place to be looking for work don't you think?"

The woman smirked. "There wasn't anyone around. No point in drying out in the sun like a prune is there?"

Luke returned her gesture, holding out his hand. "I'm Luke by the way. Luke Skywalker."

"I'm Korra." she smiled, returning his handshake. "So, do you know anyone who's hiring?"

Luke leaned his head back, trying to recall if anyone he knew had advertised. "I think they're looking for people at the cantina. Other than that the only work around here is on moisture farms. Actually, my uncle might be looking for a few new hands to help out."

"Well, let me know if that's the case. We kind of need the money."

"Hope there's not a whole group of you looking." Luke said, rubbing the back of his neck. "We don't really have much money to pay more than a couple of people."

"That's fine. The others can find work somewhere else." She replied, moving out of the shadows towards the main building. Luke followed her.

"You're not from around here are you?" he asked.

"No we actually just got here." Korra replied. "How could you tell?"

"Anchorhead isn't a big place. You kind of know everyone who's local after living here a while." Luke said, his smirk returning. "So where are you from?"

At that Korra's good cheer faltered, the events of the last few days rushing back into her mind.

"I, um…." she began. Luke noticed her discomfort immediately.

"I'm sorry." He said. "You don't have to say if it makes you uncomfortable."

Korra smiled. There was something about this guy that put her at ease, as if he exuded an aura of hope. She had never felt anything like it before, yet it was very familiar. Almost like how she felt when Tenzin had shown up back on Kurlik. Familiar, yet different. It was as if his aura was incredibly more powerful than Tenzin's, as if his destiny was already written in the stars.

"Let's just say I'm from off world and leave it at that." She finally said.

Korra nearly burst out laughing at Luke's face, at that point the picture of confusion.

"Why would you come to Tatooine?" he asked. "There's literally nothing here."

"That's exactly why we came here."

Finally making it inside the building, Korra was about to introduce Tenzin to her new friend, but stopped herself when she had taken in her surroundings.

Tenzin had gone.

Puzzled, Korra looked to and from, trying to find her master. Luke noticed her confusion and tried to help, but she was a woman possessed.

"Where the hell is he?"

Luke spotted Fixer working on his landspeeder, swapping out a worn out power cell for a new one. He had to know where Korras' friend had taken off to.

"Hey Fixer!" Luke called. "Was there a man here earlier?"

Fixer looked up, his work goggles making him look like an inquisitive insect. "You mean the bald guy in the cloak?"

Korra pushed past Luke, determined to get to the bottom of their little mystery.

"Did you see where he went?" she demanded. Luke could see the desperation on her face.

Fixer backed up a little, slightly taken aback. "Um, Yeah. He took off on his bike, went right for the Jundland Wastes."

At that Luke blanched. "What? Why would he go there alone?"

Fixer shrugged. "Probably doesn't know what's waiting for him there. I tried to warn him, but he took off before I could say anything."

Korra looked between the two men. "What's so dangerous about this place?"

Luke turned to face her. "It's where the Sand People live, this worlds natives. Trust me, your friend's in a lot of trouble."

"Tenzin will be fine. He can handle himself." Korra said. "I just want to know why he would leave like that."


	7. Chapter 7: Legacies

**Star Wars Book One: Force**

**Chapter 7: Legacies**

**Jundland Wastes, Tatooine**

Tenzin had felt it. A faint disturbance in the force, like a promise of refuge from the hardship of this world. It had been so compelling to him that he felt that leaving Korra at the station was the best course of action. He had sensed what was out there in the wastes, and he knew that she would be safer in a civilised area.

He had been on foot for an hour now, making good time towards the source of the disturbance. He had been forced to abandon the speeder bike when the terrain had changed from rolling sand dunes and the occasional wind smoothed outcropping to a maze of rocky ledges and ravines. That and he had caught sight of a group of figures clad in khaki coloured rags and strange masks, every one of whom was armed. The speeder bike would have drawn too much attention, and he would prefer to avoid confrontation if possible. After that sighting he was sure leaving Korra behind had been the right choice. For all of her gung ho attitude towards life, Tenzin wasn't sure how well she could protect herself in an area like this.

Tenzin had come to the entrance of a cave deep down in a canyon, the rock rough and dark, untouched by the scouring wind and bleaching light. As he stood there, contemplating his next action, he felt a cool breeze wash over him. A breeze that seemed to ease every tension in his mind.

A breeze that had come from the cave itself.

There was no doubt in his mind. He could sense it. The source of the disturbance was within, beckoning him to join it. Taking a deep breath, Tenzin stepped over the threshold into the darkness.

The darkness was absolute, forcing Tenzin to ignite his lightsaber simply to see a few feet in front of him. Continuing onward, he descended into the abyss, his lightsaber bathing the walls of the cave in emerald luminance. He wandered the cave for what seemed like an eternity, its bland, featureless walls passing him by without him giving another thought. After a while, he came to a junction, where the cave split into three different tunnels. He stopped, unsure how to proceed. The presence was coming from all around him now, as if he was already at the source. Tenzin stood for a while, contemplating this.

"What is this place?" he thought.

He spun around at a clatter of stones, raising his lightsaber.

He was completely unprepared for who stood before him.

"Fierfekk!" Korra screamed, "Put that thing down before you hurt someone!"

Tenzin was stunned. "How did you follow me here?"

Korra gave him her patented deadpan. "I'm Force Sensitive to, remember? I felt this place as well."

Before Tenzin could respond, she took off down the right tunnel.

"Come on then!" Korra called back, "The source is down here, I can feel it!"

Something wasn't right. There was no way Korra, at this early stage of her training, could have possibly tracked down this place, let alone sense the disturbance. Only a Jedi who had spent years of their lives training in the ways of the Force could sense a disturbance so faint. Shaking his head, Tenzin took off after his Padawan, determined to make some semblance of sense of this bizarre turn of events.

"Korra wait!" he called. She was far ahead of him at this point, only able to hear her footfalls on the floor of the tunnel.

"You catch up!" she called back, her voice full of mirth. "Don't tell me mister spiritual is afraid of a little-"

She was cut off by a crack. Tenzin heard her scream, a terrible piercing wail that rang through the confines of the cave.

"Korra!" Tenzin shouted. He broke into a sprint, he wouldn't let his charge come to harm. He was so panicked, running so fast, that he nearly ran into a ravine. Screeching to a halt, he peered over the edge. Had Korra fallen in the drop would have severely hurt, if not outright killed her. "Korra! Can you hear me?"

"Tenzin!" she called back from the bottom, her voice strained by pain. "I think my leg is broken!"

"Hang on Korra, I'm coming down!" he shouted. Taking a step backwards, he took a deep breath, closing his eyes and allowing the Force to flow through him. Opening his eyes, he stepped forward and jumped off the ledge, the Force cushioning his fall. Landing with a slight crump on the dusty ground, Tenzin immediately scanned the area for his Padawan.

"Korra! Where are you?"

He was met by silence. Tenzin began to feel himself panic, immediately quashing the dark thoughts. He would get them both out of here in one piece. He would not fail her, not like the others.

A clatter of rock on rock to his left caught his attention. Casting his lightsaber in the direction of the noise, the darkness gave way to another tunnel. This one however, was not natural. An archway, carved with ornate patterns that Tenzin found vaguely familiar, led into a corridor of smooth cut stone. Making his way down the passage, he found that the walls were engraved with the same symbols from the archway. Where was he?

Following the passage, he eventually came to a large chamber, so large that lightsaber could not illuminate the far end. Advancing into the cavernous space, Tenzin swept his lightsaber to and from, trying to cover as much area as possible.

The chamber was enormous. He had been walking in a straight line for close to ten minutes and he had yet to reach the other side. Suddenly something caught his eye. Swinging his lightsaber around, he found Korra's cloak, tattered and bloodied.

"Korra!" he shouted, his desperation seeping into his tone.

"Tenzin…."

He froze. Her voice was so weak, so dejected and empty. Turning to face her, the sight of her beaten, broken form standing before him nearly tore his heart in two. Bruised and bloodied, her clothes were in tatters, cuts scattered across her body like she had been dragged through a field of glass shards. Her face was what drove into his heart the most however. She looked at him with almost barely contained contempt, her features twisted into a sneer.

"Why couldn't you save me?" she said accusingly.

Tenzin took a step towards her, but before he could say anything, she jerked, the glowing crimson red blade of a Sith lightsaber impaling her torso. A white and red mask appeared over her shoulder.

"You knew this day would come Jedi." said Amon.

He pulled his lightsaber from Korra, her form slumping lifeless, collapsing into a heap on the ground. She didn't move, her once vibrant blue eyes now dull and empty.

"No!" Tenzin reached for her, but she was already gone. He fell to his knees. He had failed to protect his allies once again. In his grief, he failed to notice Amon advancing until he was right on top of him.

"Did you really believe that no one else had sensed this place?" he sneered. "Truly the arrogance of you Jedi knows no bounds."

Tenzin sprang to his feet, anger boiling inside of him. He had taken Korra, just like he had taken his friends all those years ago. No amount of training could stem the rage that the sight of her corpse had brought upon him. Amon was quick to pick up on his feelings.

"Ah yes, good!" he chuckled, "Give in to your anger. Strike me down Jedi. Avenge your apprentice!"

Tenzin very nearly gave in to his base passions, very nearly forsaking the Jedi code. Every nerve in his body was screaming at him to cut the Inquisitor down where he stood, to end his threat there and now. But his brain told him that this wasn't right. Nothing was adding up! They had left Amon in their drive wake when they fled from Kurlik. The Empire had no way of tracking a ship through hyperspace, not that Tenzin knew of. How was he here? How could he have been waiting for them?

He was brought out of his turmoil by Amon raising his lightsaber, casting himself in a blood red glow.

"No?" he said, disappointment heavy in his tone. "A pity. I would so have preferred breaking you before ending your miserable existence."

With a flourish of his weapon, he lunged.

Tenzin had been ready for him, bringing his saber around in a defensive position. Their blades clashed, crackling against each other as they fought to overpower the other. Amon's eyes narrowed behind his mask as Tenzin began to push him back, responding by opening himself to the Force. Slowly but surely, Amon's greater skill with a lightsaber was turning the tide in his favour. Tenzin knew he couldn't win in a straight up duel with the Inquisitor. He had to draw upon his strengths in order to make it out of this alive. Unfortunately, lightsaber combat was not one of them. Instead, he would make use of his greater talents.

His command of the Force.

Tenzin had never been particularly talented with a lightsaber, even in the days before he had been assigned a master to train under. He had never been able to master more than the basic lightsaber forms during his training. However, he had always been strong in the Force, able to influence it in ways that most padawan took decades to master. By the time he had been assigned to his master, he was already at a level where some members of the Jedi council had begun to take notice of him. And now that same affinity would be the key to his survival.

Heaving all his might, Tenzin pushed forward, breaking the lock and forcing Amon onto the back foot. Rather than pressing the attack however, he leaped backwards, taking advantage of the Inquisitors imbalance to open himself to the Force. He closed his eyes, putting himself into a trance, allowing the Force to flow through him, to bind around his limbs and seep into his consciousness. He was able to see things so much more clearly now, as if a fog had suddenly lifted. Sensing the Inquisitors anger, Tenzin opened his eyes, allowing the Force to guide him.

Amon lunged again, attempting to spear Tenzin with his blade. Reacting with Force enhanced reflexes, Tenzin spun to the left, raising his emerald blade underneath Amon's crimson, swatting it upwards and away. Spinning on the balls of his feet, Tenzin turned his lightsaber in a reverse grip and raised his other hand. The Fore flowed outward from his palm, an unstoppable wave of mystic energy that collided with the Inquisitor, throwing him across the chamber with a grunt.

Silence. Amon had extinguished his lightsaber, the darkness swallowing him completely. Tenzin could not sense him, as if he had simply vanished into the surrounding abyss. That put him on edge, scanning his surroundings, straining his ears for any sound. His lightsaber humming, Tenzin moved forward, his nerves on a razors edge, his mind open to the Force.

"You cannot win Jedi." Amon's voice rumbled from the darkness. Tenzin spun, searching for the source of the taunt. It seemed to be coming from all around him, as if Amon had somehow become the chamber itself. "Your order is dead, your allies along with it!"

A sudden gust of air caused Tenzin's cloak to flutter. Already on edge, he span around once more, his weapon raised. He was greeted by his tormentor, lightsaber held blade down at his side, his hand resting on its hilt.

"How much longer do you believe you can run for?" Amon said, slowly advancing towards Tenzin. "Give up Jedi. Accept the new order of things, and I promise to make your death mercifully swift."

"No." Tenzin said, "You won't."

He extinguished his lightsaber, the chamber now only bathed in the blood red light of the Inquisitors weapon.

"You cannot kill me Amon, because you are not here." Tenzin said, his eyes narrowing.

Amon had stopped his advance. Silence permeated the room for a tense moment, before giving way to the Inquisitors laughter.

"Do you really want to put that theory to the test Tenzin?"

"I will Amon." Tenzin said defiantly. "It has been a long time since I have felt anything like this place, but I now remember. You are simply an illusion. The Force is testing me, testing my resolve, forcing me to face my fears."

Walking towards the Inquisitor, Tenzin continued, "Korra is not dead, she is still back at the repair shop. You are not here, you are still entire sectors away where we left you."

Stopping in front of Amon, he stood defiant in the face of his enemy. "I am not afraid of a spectre."

Neither moved for a few moments, before Amon finally spoke.

"Well done."

The moment the words were uttered, Amon's image was blown away by a gust of air, like sand scattering in a storm. Tenzin was alone in the dark, yet the disturbance that had led him to this place was now stronger than ever. He stood, opening himself to the Force once more. Surely enough, the disturbance was now so strong that it was now a beacon in the darkness, guiding him towards it. Once again igniting his lightsaber, he turned around, making his way back into the chamber, noticing with some relief that Korra's body had vanished. Coming across another corridor, Tenzin left the chamber behind him and continued on into the darkness. It wasn't long before he emerged into another chamber.

This one however, was lit.

What looked to be a star map adorned the ceiling, casting the entire room in a pale blue light. Extinguishing his saber, Tenzin looked around. On the far side there was what seemed to be an altar, made of smooth stone and carved with intricate symbols. Along the wall behind it was a mural. Making his way towards it, he inspected the bass relief carving. It depicted what seemed to be a war, soldiers on either side in different forms of armour, some in what looked like the armour that clone troopers used to wear and others in strange designs that he had never seen before. What really drew his attention were the two figures in the centre. Both wielded what were clearly lightsabers, however they both looked radically different from the other, just like the soldiers behind them. One wore robes and a hood, wielding two lightsabers. The other wore what looked like heavy armour with large pauldrons and a helmet, with a single saber in its hand.

Tenzin was so deep in his thoughts that he did not notice the holoprojector behind him begin to flicker to life.

He jumped at the crackle of the projector as the hologram materialised. Spinning around, he was greeted by the sight of a man in a robe, its hood pulled down. Underneath he wore what seemed to be standard Jedi garb, consisting of a cream coloured tunic and trousers, along with black boots and a utility belt, to which a pair of lightsabers were clipped. A chest plate covered his upper torso, and his forearms and shins sported light armour plating as well.

Then he spoke.

"To whoever may see this, the Emperors Wrath is dead. The Sith forces in the outer rim are in complete disarray, but at a huge cost."

Tenzin couldn't believe it. This recording had to be millennia old at least for the Sith to have an army large enough to pose a threat to the Jedi, and by extension the old Republic.

The man continued,"The entire expeditionary fleet was destroyed over this world along the Sith occupation forces. The space above Tatooine will be lousy with debris for centuries to come. Our ship was heavily damaged during the final stages of the battle, and despite T7's best efforts I don't think we'll ever get off this dust ball. We won't be able to get help from the locals either, because the Empire turned their guns on the settlements before their defeat."

The man's face darkened, evidently pained by the events that had transpired during this ancient war.

"We lost Doc when the ship crashed, and Sargent Rusk took a serious blow to his head. He's been unconscious for a week now, and despite our efforts I don't think he'll make it. We can't contact the Republic for help, so I'm leaving this recording for the future. If you have managed to make it into this chamber, you are strong in the Light Side of the Force indeed. You have the making of a Jedi, or you are one already. Within the pedestal behind you I have placed a holocron, within which is the complete record of my mission, as well as my ships astrogation databanks and log history."

His face became serious. "I beg of you, whoever you may be. This information must reach the Jedi Council. They must know what transpired here, they must know that my mission was a success. They must be able to tell the Senate that the Empire has been severely weakened, so that we may end this war once and for all. I am Jedi Master Caffren Arcurtas, Commander of the 131st Expeditionary Fleet. May the Force be with you."

The holoprojector shut off, the hologram of Master Arcurtas fading with it. Tenzin was stunned. He had stumbled across a record of a war that had become legendary among the Jedi. The Second Great Galactic War, a conflict between the Old Republic and the ancient Sith Empire. Some worlds still bore the scars of the violence. Taris to this day was an inhospitable wasteland, the Empire having bombarded it millennia ago. Some worlds had been lost from record entirely, one of which being Typhon, the legendary home world of the Jedi Order. What secrets could the holocron Master Arcurtas mentioned hold? Could there be coordinates to old Jedi strongholds that had faded from record after the wars conclusion? Could there be techniques lost to the Order after the Sacking of Coruscant at the end of the First War?

Turning to examine the pedestal, Tenzin could see no sign of a compartment where the holocron could be hidden. He took a step backwards, reaching out towards it with the Force. He could sense the device within the stone altar. Perhaps he had to use the Force to access it?

Raising his hand, he willed the Force towards the pedestal. Sure enough, the stone shook for a moment before collapsing into a pile of rubble, lying among which sat his prize. He pulled the holocron towards him, catching it from the air and placing it within his robe. Taking on last look around him, Tenzin made his way back to the surface, and back to his companions.


End file.
